


Hemocraft

by LeftHandedPastryChef



Series: Blood and Fire [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Aftercare, Bathing/Washing, Begging, Biting, Blood Magic, Bloodplay, Blowjobs, Caleb has a thing for Molly's Voice, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Feelings, Jester is a good bro, Kink Negotiation, Lots of Zemnian, M/M, Mild Painplay, Molly takes good care of Caleb, Multiple Orgasms, Overstimulation, Protective Nott | Veth Brenatto, Sex Magic, tiefling anatomy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:41:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27153313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeftHandedPastryChef/pseuds/LeftHandedPastryChef
Summary: Molly can do more with his magic than just kill people, and when Caleb starts asking questions, Molly sees an opportunity arise.-Molly leaned a bit closer and let his voice drop lower again, tracing patterns over Caleb’s ribs as he spoke. “However, with consent, I could take someone’s sight away for a while. Like a blindfold, but without one, and all they would have to focus on is my voice and my touch.” He ran his palms down Caleb’s sides and traced the ridges of his hip bones. “With consent, I could bind you without ropes, keep you pinned and at my mercy with nothing to do but feel, and take, and be pleasured.” His hands moved up now, sliding over Caleb’s chest with a slow drag. He could feel the rise and fall of it as Caleb’s breath grew ragged.“What else, Molly,” he said, voice strained.“With consent,” Molly purred against the shell of Caleb’s ear, “I could bring you right to the edge and keep you there for as long as I wanted. And the best part,” his tail snaked around to brush lightly against Caleb’s thigh, eliciting a shiver from the man. “Is that I can feel every single thing that you feel. And you can feel me.”
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Series: Blood and Fire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2045077
Comments: 57
Kudos: 357





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A bit late to the party, but when am I not? A few things before you get started.  
> -There are no spoilers for anything major. I'm only on ep40 myself as of writing this.  
> -Not betaread but I did reread it like eighty times so hopefully it's okay  
> -Since hover text doesn't work on mobile, I didn't put the translations for all of the Zemnian, but on most phones if you highlight it, you should be able to pull up a translation easy enough?  
> 

Molly always looked forward to a trip to the bathhouse, and never more than right after a long battle that left him bruised and cut. He didn’t mind blood when it flowed freely in beautiful rivulets, lending him power and strength, but he wasn’t as fond of it after the fact when it had dried and caked to his wounds, making his clothes stick uncomfortably and leaving him itchy. 

The Mighty Nein’s most recent battle, the one they were trudging back through town wearing the remnants of, had been a particularly messy endeavor. Nott had secured a position high up to fire her crossbow from, but the rest of them had been in the thick of it and it showed. They were all covered in dirt and grime and blood, some theirs and some not. Even Caleb agreed that the bathhouse was a necessity. 

Molly could barely wait to strip off his filthy clothes and sink into the hot pool of water, surrounded by his friends and riding high on the success of another mission well done. The woman that ran the bath house, however, had other ideas. 

“Absolutely not. If you want to soak in the main bath, you’ll have to clean up in the singles first. You’re filthy, the lot of you.”

“The singles?” Fjord asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Washrooms. I’ve got four. You get all that shit cleaned off you and then you can use the main bathhouse. A bit extra and we’ll wash your clothes.” She looked them over, frowning especially at Caleb. “Or what’s left of them, anyway.”

The others looked like they were reconsidering, but Molly had been looking forward to this from the moment he’d opened the first cut on his neck. “How big are the singles?” He produced a handful of gold coins and tossed them in his hand. 

She looked Molly up and down. “Your size? You could share ‘em.” Then her eyes wandered to Yasha and Fjord. “You two’ll need your own.”

“Beau and I can share,” Jester offered. “Nott too, she’s extra small.”

“I really don’t-” Nott protested, but Molly cut her off with a wave of his hand.

“So that’s one for Yasha, one for Fjord. Another for the girls, and I’ll share with Caleb. Four baths, clothes washed, and a nice long soak in the main bath after.” Molly reached out and deposited the stack of gold coins in the woman’s hand before she could protest, and she nodded grimly. 

“Alright, this way.” 

Each of the four baths were comprised of a small room, separated from the others by a decorative tile wall that came up to Molly’s nose, and a large wash basin in the center. A few simple soaps and washrags were on a table beside it, and a basket for their clothing was set just outside the door. 

Molly wasted no time breezing into the room and disrobing, emptying his pockets with quick and efficient movements so he could toss his clothes into the bin. The collar of his coat was positively disgusting, caked with blood that was still damp in places. He pitied the person that would be washing their things. 

Caleb entered the room as well, reluctantly removing his coat and folding it into a careful square before setting it aside. Molly sighed. “I will personally pay you to have that coat washed, Caleb. I saw you before Jester healed you, and I’m fairly certain that one of those stains is from your own guts. It’s a bit much, dear.” 

Frowning, Caleb turned and considered the coat. He unfolded it, looked it over, and let out a deep sigh. “ _Ja_ , I suppose you are right.” Then slowly and methodically, he began to take the most bizarre assortment of objects Molly had ever seen from the pockets of his beloved garment. He placed each item on the floor, one next to the other, grouping them carefully by what came out of which pocket. Sensing that it would take him a few minutes, Molly braced himself and sank into the cool water. 

“Gods, would it kill them to warm it a bit?” He complained, closing his eyes and tipping his head back. For a moment he let himself relax, listening to the rustling of Caleb going through his pockets and the muffled laughter from Beau and Jester in the room next to them. 

“Just a moment,” Caleb muttered, and Molly opened his eyes again to watch the wizard. It seemed his many pockets were finally empty, and now he was working off the filthy shirt with its ragged tear down the middle. It was an unwelcome reminder that not but two hours ago, Caleb had been unconscious on the ground with a sword through his gut. Molly knew the wound was healed- Jester had seen to that- but Caleb’s stomach was still covered in the blood that had poured out of him before the magic stitched him back together. Molly’s hands twitched with the urge to wash it all away, just to make sure there was no more injury. He wanted the proof of Caleb’s pale skin under his hands. He hated to see his friends hurt.

Molly grabbed one of the bars of soap and lathered it, then began to scrub himself. He washed his hair before the water became too murky, then his face, which had been splattered with gore when he’d carved open the creature that had very nearly killed Caleb. He wished again that the water was warmer. His muscles were growing stiffer by the second as the post-battle fatigue settled over his body, and when he lifted his arms to wash the blood from the back of his neck, he let out an unexpected groan at the pain of it. 

“Almost finished?” He asked Caleb. “I could use a hand. Or two.”

“ _Ja_ , coming,” Caleb answered, shucking off the last of his garments. He cracked the door open just wide enough to pass the clothing through and drop it in the basket, then shut it with a click. Molly averted his gaze, as was bathhouse etiquette, and waited for Caleb to climb into the water. Caleb, rather than getting in immediately, paused at the side of the tub and tested the water with a hand. He let out a quiet, “Hmm…”

Molly shrugged. “I know, it’s not ideal, but we’ve just got to scrub up a bit. Then we can soak in the hot bath.”

“If I weren’t so tired,” Caleb muttered. “Should be able to, just a bit-” 

Molly was about to ask Caleb to speak up, but the wizard closed his eyes and the water shimmered, then settled. It was noticeably warmer. “ _Oh_ , that’s lovely, Caleb.”

Finally, the man climbed into the basin and settled. “What do you need?”

“Wash my back? Too stiff.” 

If Caleb hesitated at the request, Molly didn’t see it. He was already turning around in the small space and tilting his head forward, allowing Caleb access to the back of his neck where the raised cuts from his scimitars were. 

While Caleb was not at all a touchy person, Molly was a creature of tactile pleasure, and as soon as the wizard’s hands settled on his skin he let out a contented hum. His tail swished a bit in the water, but he quickly tucked it out of the way so he didn’t smack Caleb with it.

At first, Caleb’s touch was stiff and clinical. He smeared soap over the plains of Molly’s shoulders and rubbed away the grime with efficiency, not lingering too long on any one spot. Then his fingers grazed the swollen, angry lines of today’s cuts and Molly hissed, caught off guard by the sting of it. “ _Scheiss,_ Molly, I’m sorry.” Caleb’s touch became gentle at once. “Just let me get the blood off.” Carefully now, he wiped the pad of his thumb across the damaged skin. Molly bit his lip, partly to distract himself from the sting of the soap, but mostly to keep his mind from dwelling on how gentle and attentive Caleb’s scrubbing had become. It was lovely, and Molly briefly wished he’d asked Caleb to wash his hair too.

When he was satisfied that the cuts were clean, Caleb cupped some water in his hands and poured it over to chase away the soap. Then he took the bar again, lathered it, and ran his soapy fingers over Molly’s shoulders, tracing the lines of the peacock feathers on one and the sun on the other. Molly put his arms on the edge of the bath so he could lean his head on them and close his eyes. He let the rest of the world fall away for a moment, only focusing on the gentle sweeps of fingers tracing the lines of his tattoos and his scars. Caleb’s hands ghosted over his bruises, then pressed hard into the stiff muscles of his upper back, and Molly groaned. “That’s good, love,” he murmured, forgetting to reign himself in on the pet names. 

"It is incredible, what you can do with those swords, Mollymauk. A shame though, about the scars.” He poured another handful of water over Molly’s shoulders, colder now that they had been sitting for so long.

Molly hummed through a smile. “I don’t mind them. It’s my blood that does it though, not the swords.”

Caleb’s hands fell away. "How do you mean?"

"Blood magic? I’m sure I knew more about it at some point in my life, but…” He shrugged, then forced himself to sit up and turn. The water was a bit murky now from their combined filth, and he frowned at it, but Caleb closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, turning it clear and warm again with a pulse of magic. Molly adored him. “Get your hair wet. Let me wash you.”

Caleb hesitated, then leaned forward to dunk his hair. It was awkward, what with the size of the wash tub, and if Caleb’s eyes weren’t closed then he would certainly be getting quite the view. Then he came back up, hair soaked and dripping. "Blood magic,” he repeated, still caught on the idea. “It is what allows you to turn your swords to ice or radiance?"

Molly chuckled and motioned for Caleb to turn around, which he did. He picked up the bar of soap that had been left beside a comb, marking it as the one for hair. He rubbed it between his hands. "That, yes. The blinding too, and other things."

" _Ja_? What other things?" 

"Curious, aren't you?" Molly mused that he was probably one of the first people in decades to wash Caleb’s hair for him, and he planned on enjoying every moment of it. He tangled his fingers in it, gathering as much as he could before massaging the soap into Caleb’s scalp. Though he didn’t protest, Molly could see by the set of his shoulders and the flex of his hands that he was uncomfortable. “Relax a bit,” Molly cooed.

Caleb took a breath and let it out, shoulders drooping a bit as he did. "Sorry. I do not often let people touch me."

“I’ve noticed,” Molly hummed. He brought his hands forward a bit, scratching lightly at the hairline, then brought his hands down to rub at the sides of Caleb’s head. The absence of horns was something that interested him, and he lingered there for a moment. “Is this okay?”

“Fine, _ja._ What other things?” 

Caleb was nothing if not a focused man. Molly continued to massage, rubbing at the back of his head now. His hair was well and truly sudsed. “Nothing useful in a fight, if that’s what you were wondering.” He smiled to himself. “Really, it’s not all that interesting...”

“You are teasing me, Mollymauk,” Caleb huffed. 

Molly pushed himself back against the wall of the bath to make as much room as he could, then put a gentle hand on Caleb’s shoulder and leaned him back. Caleb allowed Molly to guide him, leaning until he was able to dip his hair into the water. Having Caleb naked with his head practically in Molly’s lap was filling the tiefling with an unexpected fondness, as well as the warm curl of desire. He wiped a bit of soap off of Caleb’s forehead, looked into his watchful blue eyes, and grinned. “I’m teasing you, Widogast.”

Caleb scrambled to sit up, and Molly could still see the flush on his skin from where it crept down his neck. The tips of his ears that poked through his wet hair were turning pink as well. Molly couldn’t help it; he laughed. Caleb glanced over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. “Are we finished?”

“We can be,” Molly shrugged, picking up the bar of soap and scooting closer again.. “Or,” he let his voice drop a bit deeper, “you can warm this water up one more time, let me wash the rest of you, and I’ll tell you all the lovely things I can do with my blood magic.”

Caleb didn’t respond right away, and Molly wondered if he’d pushed too far. It was so easy to fluster the wizard, but for all Molly’s attempts, Caleb had never responded to his flirting. He waited patiently. Then the water rippled, becoming clearer and warmer once more, and Molly couldn’t help the toothy grin that spread across his face.

“Well,” he started, rubbing the soap between his hands as he contemplated. “For starters, it is called hemocraft.” He set his hands on Caleb’s shoulders and the man flinched. Molly frowned. “Will you tell me, first, if you simply don’t like being touched?” He tapped his fingers a few times experimentally. “Or is it the intimacy?” This time he slid his fingers down Caleb’s spine, slow and gentle, then back up. 

“It’s fine,” Caleb mumbled.

“That’s not an answer.” Molly’s hands stilled. 

“The latter,” he said quickly. “I’m just not used to it. _Bitte_ , Molly, tell me about the magic before we freeze.”

He thought to point out that Caleb had been doing a fine job at keeping the water warm with his own magic. But they’d made an agreement, so Molly pressed on, running his hands along Caleb’s shoulders and watching as the dirt gave way to pale, freckled skin. “The magic. I use my blood as a component, much as you use all those odd things you keep stashed in your pockets. By sacrificing my own blood, I can take control of another’s, in a way.” 

“Yes,” Caleb nodded. It was no wonder he’d figured that much out on his own.

“These things I do without consent.” Molly slid his hands over the tops of Caleb’s shoulders and traced his collarbones with a firm press of his thumbs. “As is the nature of fighting,” he continued. “No enemy of ours is going to consent to being blinded or bound or taken control of.”

“Of course,” Caleb agreed, finally relaxing a bit as Molly rubbed some of the tension out of his muscles. 

“But with consent,” Molly purred, “and with safety precautions…” His touch became light again, and he ghosted his fingers down Caleb’s back, then slid them over his ribs. “There are many possibilities.”

Caleb shivered, then let his arms float out to the sides just a bit, giving Molly more room to work with. “Such as?”

Molly guessed he’d meant to make the question seem like simple curiosity, but the slight crack in his voice betrayed him. It was taking time and patience to show Caleb that being touched could be lovely, but Molly considered every second of it well spent. With every pass of his hands, he could feel the man melting into his touch. He moved to Caleb’s arms, washing each one with care from bicep to fingertip, allowing himself a brief moment to wrap his hands around Caleb’s bony wrists and give them the slightest squeeze. Then he lightened his touch again and worked his way back up, until both of his soapy hands lingered on Caleb’s neck, thumbs rubbing at the stubbled line of his jaw. 

“Molly?” Caleb breathed. 

Molly flinched, dropping his hands into the water to rinse the soap from them. “Sorry love, got distracted.”

“ _Ja_ ,” Caleb agreed. 

“Will you let me wash your front? It’s the worst where you got stabbed.” Molly moved back a touch and fiddled with the soap bar again. He willed his heart to slow and hoped the water wasn’t so clear that Caleb could see how aroused he was. When there was no response, he began to worry. “Caleb?”

“I’d rather not turn around just yet,” Caleb finally responded. His voice was raspy and Molly’s tail flicked beneath the water. Gods, he wanted. 

“Then don’t,” Molly said simply, moving closer again. He placed his hands back on Caleb’s ribs as a warning, pleased when he didn’t flinch. “Sit up a bit. There you go.”

“You haven’t said, hmm…” Caleb’s question trailed off as Molly’s hands snaked around his front, carefully passing over what had been a near lethal wound mere hours ago. Now it was just soft, unblemished skin, and Molly was intent on washing away every bit of evidence that it had ever been otherwise. 

Molly remembered where they had left off. He leaned a bit closer and let his voice drop lower again, tracing patterns over Caleb’s ribs as he spoke. “With consent, I could take someone’s sight away for a while. Like a blindfold, but without one, and all they would have to focus on is my voice and my touch.” He ran his palms down Caleb’s sides and traced the ridges of his hip bones. “With consent, I could bind you without ropes, keep you pinned and at my mercy with nothing to do but feel, and take, and be pleasured.” His hands moved up now, breaking the surface of the water and sliding over Caleb’s chest with a slow drag. He could feel the rise and fall of it as Caleb’s breath grew ragged.

“What else, Molly,” he said, voice strained. If Molly had any question about whether or not Caleb was enjoying this, that had answered it. 

“With consent,” Molly purred against the shell of Caleb’s ear, “I could bring you right to the edge and keep you there for as long as I wanted. And the best part,” his tail snaked around to brush lightly against Caleb’s thigh, eliciting a shiver from the man. “Is that I can feel every single thing that you feel. And you can feel me.”

“ _Götter,_ Molly, _fuck_.” Caleb panted. He leaned back and dropped his head on Molly’s shoulder, exposing his neck and giving Molly a splendid view all the way down the pale expanse of his front. Yes, he was definitely very into this. 

“ _Caleb,_ ” Molly groaned, unable to resist the urge to sink his teeth into Caleb’s milky white skin. He realized his mistake as soon as he bit down and quickly pulled off, checking Caleb’s neck for blood. “Fuck, sorry, sharp…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Caleb muttered, tilting his head even more.

Then a loud rap on the door startled both of them, sending water sloshing as Caleb stood bolt upright. “Are you guys almost done?”

Between the surprise of Beau knocking and Caleb’s very pale ass right in his face, Molly was at a loss for words. 

“Almost, _ja_ , got to wait for my coat,” Caleb sputtered.

Molly snorted. “That one might take a while.”

“You can leave your things in there,” Jester called through the door. “The bath lady said it’s okay.”

Caleb, bless his heart, couldn’t think of anything to say to that. But he was still standing in the tub, dripping water, and Molly was only so strong. “We’ll be out in a moment,” he called in a sing-song voice, then leaned forward and bit Caleb right in the meaty part of his ass cheek. 

Caleb yelped, Molly cackled, and Nott started yelling through the door. “Caleb? Caleb are you okay? What was that-” 

“I’m fine, Nott,” Caleb assured her, running a hand through his wet hair like he always did when he was stressed. “Go ahead, we will catch up.” 

When their voices were no longer right outside the door, Caleb stepped out and grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist. Then he took another and held it out to Molly, but very carefully did not look in his direction. “Sorry, I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that,” Molly chuckled. His tail flicked back and forth as he dried his hair. Caleb didn’t say anything. “Are you angry with me?”

“No, not…” Caleb hesitated and glanced back, turning a bit pink again when he noticed that Molly was making no effort to cover his lower half. “I am not.”

“What then? Why so shy all of a sudden, love?”

Caleb frowned and took another towel to dry his hair with. The first remained firmly wrapped around his waist. “I am embarrassed, Mollymauk,” he huffed, as if it was obvious. 

“Gods, why? You’re gorgeous, Caleb. What do you have to be embarrassed about?” Molly knew that Caleb was frustratingly hard on himself, but it still pained him to hear it. 

“I am not usually so-” he paused, then shook his head. “I should not have reacted so strongly. They are only words.”

“Perhaps you’re missing the fact that I was _absolutely_ trying to get that very reaction out of you.” Molly shook out his hair and his horn jewelry jingled softly. “I’m quite pleased with myself, if you must know.”

Caleb turned a shade redder yet, averting his eyes. He seemed to fight with himself over what to say next before finally letting his shoulders sag a bit in defeat. “I’m confused, Molly. What do you want from me?”

Molly wrapped his towel around his waist, then stepped forward to put a hand on Caleb’s cheek. “ _That_ is becoming a very long list,” he chuckled. “More importantly, what do you want from me? Because I’ll give it to you. Just ask.”

Caleb’s tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Those things you were saying, with your magic. You would do that? With me?”

“Absolutely. A thousand times yes.”

Caleb considered for a long moment, then met Molly’s eyes. “Okay.” He nodded. “ _Ja_ , okay.”

* * *

Caleb followed Molly into the main bathhouse, hoping the tiefling’s usual flair would distract the others while he slipped into the water. He was pretty sure there was a bright red bite mark on his ass cheek and he really didn’t want to explain it.

“I come bearing news of a miracle,” Molly announced as he approached the others, arms raised and towel barely clinging to his hips. “Caleb Widogast’s coat is being cleaned as we speak.”

Caleb groaned and sank into the hot water just as several pairs of eyes swiveled in his direction. “ _Ja, ja_ , laugh it up. It’s just a hassle to take everything out of the pockets is all.”

“Are you really okay, Caleb?” Nott scurried over to his side of the large pool, settling on the ledge next to his head. 

“I am fine. Molly is just a prankster, as always. No harm.” A prankster indeed. Caleb glanced over and Molly winked at him. Caleb rolled his eyes. “How was your bath, then? Did they convince you to get in?”

“Only a little,” Nott confessed. Her hair was still dry. Convinced that her wizard was safe, Nott returned to her preferred spot, far enough from the edge of the pool that Beau and Fjord couldn’t reach her for any more swimming lessons. 

Caleb sank down lower, submerging everything but his head and closing his eyes. The heat felt incredible on his aching muscles and did a reasonable job calming his nerves. 

Typically, after such a battle, his mind would linger on the fight itself. Everything he had done and everything he had done wrong, bouncing around in his mind and making him restless. Now, his mind was focused on other things. Mollymauk Tealeaf and his gods-damned tongue, to be exact. He couldn’t even recall when the conversation had tipped from a simple discussion to a lesson in restraint, but somewhere in there Caleb had become dangerously aroused by nothing by Molly’s voice and his hands, completely above the belt. He played it over in his head, still unsure as to why he didn’t just push Molly away. He had never risen to his flirtations before, and there had been ample opportunity. 

It had to have been the bath, Caleb decided. It had been so, so long since anyone had touched him for any reason other than a friendly clap on the shoulder or a quick hug. Then Molly had offered to bathe him… He’d gone and raked his hands through Caleb’s hair, touched his ribs and his hips and his chest. Tender strokes down his arms, firm squeezes on his wrists, and Caleb had just come undone in Molly’s arms. It was embarrassing. It felt like weakness. 

And then, if that hadn’t been enough, Caleb had been so entranced by Molly’s words that he’d stretched out like a cat in heat and bared his neck, begging for a bit of pain to go with all of the overwhelming pleasure.

“Copper for your thoughts?” Molly purred, suddenly right beside him. 

Caleb’s heart nearly stopped. His eyes snapped open, but he didn’t look at Molly. “You bit me,” he blurted without meaning to. 

“Twice, yes. You’re delicious. I’m truly sorry about the first one, though.”

Caleb’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Why the first?”

Molly hummed and sank down into the water as well, until he was shoulder to shoulder with Caleb, backs leaned against the wall of the pool. “The second was just a nip. The first was… mmm… not so much.”

“I don’t see the problem.”

Molly pushed away from the wall and smiled wide at Caleb, showing off his fangs. “Tiefling, in case you forgot.” He pressed the pad of his thumb against one of his canines, drawing a bead of blood. “Sharp.”

Caleb’s eyes lingered on Molly’s pointed teeth. The front few were smooth, like a human’s but his canines and the pair of teeth beside them were dangerously pointed. It was supposed to be a warning, but Caleb had felt the brush of those very same teeth across the skin of his neck- the barely-there pressure of Molly’s bite before he realized what he was doing- and Caleb wanted. 

Without thinking, he pulled a hand up from the water and reached forward, and then he remembered where they were. Molly closed his mouth abruptly, then licked his lips. “Come to my room tonight? I’ll be on my best behavior.”

Caleb smiled. “I doubt that. But I will be there.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of the Zemnian is short things that we've heard Caleb say plenty of times, but some of the longer bits are translated in the notes at the end. 
> 
> P.S. This is... pretty filthy. <3

“Jester, love, could you do me a favor?” Molly’s tail was flicking back and forth as he finished his ale and set down the mug. “I’m going to retire early. Could you try to keep the little party going for a while?” He gestured to the rest of the Nein, all well into the evening’s festivities. They’d earned themselves a bit of a reputation in this town, and the drinks were flowing freely.

“Of course! Is everything okay, Molly?” Jester asked, tilting her head. 

“ _Oh_ yes. Very okay.” He winked. 

Her eyes widened a bit, then she grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “Have fun, then.”

“I absolutely will.” Molly stood and dropped a few coins on the table for whoever wanted to spend them. 

“Oh, but Molly? I haven’t seen Caleb anywhere…”

Molly turned and gave a nonchalant wave. “Probably up in his room reading. Don’t worry about him, just the others.”

“Okay!” 

Molly took the stairs two at a time, hit the landing, and went straight to his room. It wasn’t a particularly high end establishment, but it wasn’t the worst they’d stayed in. Each room had two beds, a small desk, and a chair. Unsurprisingly, Molly found Caleb in the chair with a book in his lap. The page he was on looked blank. “Please tell me you’re not planning on taking notes,” Molly joked, shutting the door and locking it behind him. “If you are even able to take notes, I will be failing miserably at my job.”

Caleb eyed him and smiled, then shut the book and slipped it back into his coat. He stood, tucked in the chair, and faced Molly. “So how do we…”

“Well…” Molly paused, then squinted at Caleb and looked him up and down. He was fully dressed from scarf to boots, even though he’d been upstairs for the better part of an hour. Molly was suddenly worried there had been a misunderstanding. “I was clear about all this, right? It’s sex. We’re having sex, but with magic.”

Caleb flushed, but smiled. “That was very clear, even if not explicitly stated.” He began to shrug off his coat. “I wasn’t certain it would be you that entered the room, though…” 

“Oh, good. I’m glad that was clear, because that would have been awkward.”

“Is this not awkward?” Caleb asked, tugging off his boots now.

“Oh no love, this is fun.” Molly took a few steps forwards and stopped again as something dawned on him. “There is one part I may not have been entirely clear about,” he said hesitantly. “So before you get all the way undressed…”

Caleb paused, eyebrows furrowing.

Molly sighed. “The consent part. I need a bit of your blood for it.”

Caleb blinked a few times, then pulled off his other boot. “That is all? It’s not a problem.”

“Just a bit. Less than the Gentleman relieved of us, actually. Shan’t be more than a scratch-”

Caleb stepped forward and put his hands on Molly’s shoulders, cutting him off before he could say any more. “Mollymauk, you are rambling. It’s fine.” Then, very much to Molly’s surprise and pleasure, Caleb leaned forward and kissed him. It was an adorable mix of confidence and hesitance, and Molly leaned into it with a deep hum of approval. His arms reached up, between Caleb’s, and wrapped around the human’s neck. Caleb pulled Molly closer, and even with the clothes between them the line of contact was wonderful. Caleb’s lips were soft, his beard was scratchy, and he smelled like the soap that they’d spent nearly an hour rubbing into each other. Molly was in heaven. 

“I am very much looking forward to continuing this,” Molly said when Caleb finally released him. “Very much. But a few things first.”

“Clothing?” Caleb guessed tugging gently at Molly’s coat. 

“Patience, love. The spell will last for an hour. When it wears off, you’ll likely be exhausted.” Molly let Caleb help him the rest of the way out of his coat, but then put a hand between them. “When we were talking earlier, was there anything I said that you didn’t like the sound of?”

“Nothing. _Alles Gut._ ”

“Wonderful.” Molly pulled out the chair and swung a foot up on it to start the process of taking off his boots. “How much experience do you have with this kind of thing?”

“Which?” Caleb asked, stepping forward to take the laces from Molly’s hands. “The sex or the magic?”

“The sex. Specifically giving up control during.”

“I’ve had sex before. I have never done anything like this.” Caleb’s fingers deftly loosened the laces all the way down Molly’s boot, inch by inch. 

“I will not take your voice away. If at any time you feel uncomfortable or want me to stop, you say _Trostenwald._ ”

“Where we met. Okay.” He tugged the boot loose and set it aside carefully, waiting for the other. Molly switched feet and Caleb began again. 

Molly watched him, wondering how on earth they’d gotten from killing monsters side by side to this in the span of a single day. “Is there anything you don’t want me to do?”

Caleb’s fingers paused on the laces as he considered. “Do not remove my necklace. And no fire. That is all.” He resumed his task without ever looking up.

Molly wondered if it was his lack of imagination in the department of all things kinky, or if Caleb truly didn’t care, but he decided they could worry about the strange options next time. After all, this was weird enough. When Caleb relieved him of his second boot, they stood and faced each other again. 

“How much experience do you have with this kind of thing, _Herr_ Tealeaf?” Caleb smiled at him. It was one of those rare smiles that showed just a bit of tooth, and Molly loved it. 

“Which?” he teased. “The sex or the magic?” He stepped forward again, brushing his lips against Caleb’s briefly. 

“The combination of the two.”

Molly chuckled. “None, what gave it away?”

“I have never seen you nervous to perform until now.” Caleb pushed back into Molly’s space, stealing another kiss and tugging his shirt free from where it was still tucked into his pants. Molly had already been eager to take Caleb to bed, but this newfound confidence of his was fanning the flames and Molly wanted him naked _now_. His hands went to the buckles of Caleb’s book harness and he hooked his fingers beneath them to ease them off his shoulders. “I’ve got it,” Caleb murmured, slipping it off the rest of the way off and setting the books aside safely. Then he returned to Molly’s shirt, pulling it over his head. He’d almost gotten it, but then some part of the shirt tangled in Molly’s horns and yanked. 

“Easy-” Molly chuckled. “It’s the left one, just…” He blindly tried to find the edge of the shirt.

“ _Scheisse,_ Molly, let me help…” The two of them wrestled with the shirt, and Molly laughed through the entire ordeal. Eventually, they got it free.

“You’ll get used to them, darling,” Molly promised. “It takes time.” 

“I imagine.” Caleb was blushing again, embarrassed by his mistake, but he didn’t hesitate to go for Molly’s belt. “What you asked before,” he said, pulling the leather through the loop. “I should ask the same of you. Is there anything you don’t want me to do?”

Molly chuckled. “Nothing comes to mind, Caleb. You could throw me out the window and I’d still be smitten with you.” The words tumbled out on their own accord, and Molly was just as surprised by them as Caleb seemed to be. 

When Caleb found his words again, he muttered, “Your horns, though. Your tail. It’s unfamiliar.” 

“Ah.” Molly flicked his tail up and around, letting it fall into Caleb’s hand. “Not completely prehensile, but I can control it well enough. Except when you get me all excited like this.” As if punctuating his statement, his tail flicked away, but Caleb caught it and held it fast. He studied it for a moment, running his hand down it a ways, then let it go. Molly suppressed a shiver. 

“And your horns?” His hands rose to trace the curvature of them, and Molly found that he quite liked being studied. 

“Can’t feel much except for around the base. You can tug on them, it doesn’t hurt.”

Molly probably should have expected it, but Caleb did exactly that. He pulled just hard enough to drag Molly forward a step and kiss him again. Where the other kisses had been quick and gentle, this one was much more passionate. Molly loved to be in charge, but he also loved being manhandled, and both in one night with a deceptively bold wizard was blowing all of his expectations out of the water. He slipped on hand under Caleb’s shirt to rest on his hip, and the other he tangled in Caleb’s soft, clean hair. Then he pressed up and tilted his head, deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue along Caleb’s bottom lip. Without any hesitation, Caleb let him in, and Molly moaned at the feel of Caleb’s tongue carefully running along his teeth. They’d talked everything over, and Molly knew he could take it now- bite down on Caleb’s lip just hard enough to draw blood and let the magic come to life, but he’d promised to be gentle.

It felt like an impossible task, to pull away. “Clothes, off,” he commanded, a bit of magic leaking into his voice. He bit it back. “Please.”

“It’s okay,” Caleb assured him, tossing his shirt on the floor. Of course he’d felt the influence of Molly’s words. He was brimming with magic himself, after all.

“Wait, wait.” A thought sprang into Molly’s head just as Caleb removed the last of his clothes. He was standing there, absolutely naked but for his necklace, and Molly hadn’t thought to ask… “You’re not just doing this as a way to learn more about magic, right?”

Caleb just blinked at Molly slowly, as if he’d asked if the sky was blue. Then he took a slow step forward, leaned in, and kissed Molly so slowly and sweetly that it felt, for just a moment, like they were lovers rather than a pair of good friends getting their rocks off together. “Yes, Mollymauk, I am doing this because I want to. Because of the magic, but also because it is you.” He paused and stepped back a pace. “I should ask you the same, though. You are beautiful and charismatic. I am a skinny awkward fuck. Is this what you want?”

“Oh, Caleb,” Molly sighed, putting a hand on the man’s scruffy cheek. “I was wrong- there is one thing I don’t want you to do. Please don’t talk that way about yourself.” He leaned in and kissed him gently, just for a second. “You are a work of art, and I am going to absolutely love every moment that I spend exploring your gorgeous body and finding out every little thing that makes you feel good.”

“ _Bitte,_ ” Caleb’s eyes fluttered shut and he swayed a bit. “Keep talking, Molly, please. Your voice…” 

“Keep your eyes closed, let me look at you,” Molly purred. “Gods, when you blush it goes from your cheeks all the way down to your cock. You're so pink and wanting… I could spend all night kissing those freckles on your shoulders, your chest…” They didn’t have all night, though, and Molly knew he was getting carried away. “We’ve got plans, though. Perhaps another night. Come help me out of the rest of my clothes.”

The tights were always a struggle, and when Caleb’s attempt at help turned into Molly’s tail getting stuck in his pants, more chaos and laughter ensued. Molly finally just tossed himself back onto the bed and held out his legs so Caleb could pull the garment free. Then Caleb followed him over, a hand on either side of Molly’s head as he leaned down and kissed him. Their bodies tangled together and Molly could feel the pendant of Caleb’s necklace bumping against his collarbones. 

“How do you want to do this?” He murmured between kisses, groaning when Caleb sucked on his lip. He returned the favor, and when Caleb was distracted, he put his weight into it and rolled them over, sitting up on Caleb’s lap. “I have a small dagger,” Molly offered, nodding to his pack. “Or…” he held up his fingers, bringing attention to his sharp nails. 

Caleb shook his head. “Teeth, Molly.”

Despite all his best efforts to stay composed, Molly’s cock throbbed and he let out a shuddery breath. “It’s going to hurt, Caleb. A dagger’s much cleaner.”

“ _Selbstverständlich_ , I know,” Caleb huffed. “Bite me, Molly, fuck.”

Molly had absolutely no clue what half of Caleb’s words had meant, but he’d gotten the picture well enough, and he wasn’t going to make Caleb ask a third time. “Up.” He rocked back a bit, seating himself on Caleb’s thighs, and Caleb pulled himself up as well. “One hour. You don’t like something, _Trostenwald._ ” 

“ _Ja_ , Molly. Come on.” 

Molly brought the curse to mind, flicked his tongue across a sharp tooth, and waited until he could taste the blood welling in his mouth. Then he tangled a hand in Caleb’s hair, guiding him to tilt his head, and sank his teeth into the milky white skin of Caleb’s neck. 

* * *

Caleb heard himself shout when Molly’s teeth pierced him, and everything went white and fuzzy for a moment. He came back to Molly watching him with deep crimson eyes and lips stained red with both of their blood. His body hummed with foreign magic, sparks of it igniting every so often and making him gasp. “How do you feel?” Molly asked when Caleb’s eyes focused the rest of the way.

“Fuzzy?” Caleb tried to explain. “Dizzy? Good.” 

“Try to move your arms,” Molly instructed. Caleb lifted both arms and lowered them again, feeling the twinge in his neck as he did so. Molly nodded and focused for a moment. His eyes turned a shade darker, and the humming feeling in Caleb’s body grew stronger. “Now try.” Caleb tried to obey, but his arms wouldn’t move. A brief spike of panic ran through him, but Molly shushed him and pet his hair. “It’s alright. I’ve got you. Do you remember your word?”

“Where we met,” Caleb answered. The heavy buzz of magic that held his arms fast released, settling back into a gentle thrum. 

“Lie back on the bed. Legs spread, hands above your head.” Caleb did as Molly instructed and waited for the magic to lock him in place, but it didn’t. “Gods, I wish you could see yourself,” Molly praised as Caleb lay spread for him. “And the noise you made… always so quiet when I praise you and touch you, but so loud when I hurt you, and you like both, don’t you Caleb?”

Molly’s words sent a shiver through his entire body. He felt so vulnerable and exposed, like this, and without thinking he moved to cover himself up. His limbs locked instantly and he whimpered, then promptly cursed himself for making such a weak sounding noise. 

“I need an answer, sweetheart. I want to mark you up, but only if you like it.”

Caleb didn’t realize he’d closed his eyes at some point, but he opened them again and found Molly’s. “ _Ja,_ Molly. I do.” He burned with shame, but refused to look away. He didn’t want to look away at all, with how beautiful Molly was seated atop him, all dusky purple skin and dark eyes, watching his magic at work with pride.

“I hope you know that’s okay. There’s no judgement here.” Molly leaned down and kissed him, so gently that Caleb had to push himself up to get closer, to taste the faint tang of blood on Molly’s lips. Maybe it was strange, but to Caleb it was simply the taste of Molly’s magic, and he loved it. Molly didn’t linger for long, though, kissing a gentle trail down the unblemished side of Caleb’s neck and laving at his collarbone before nipping it playfully. “If I had any idea of the things I know now, I would have tried so much harder to get you into my bed.”

Caleb tried to take a deep breath, but Molly’s tongue flicked at his nipple just as he did and it caught in his throat.

“Is this okay?” Molly asked, licking softly at one of Caleb’s nipples as he pinched the other. Caleb arched his back into Molly’s touch and gasped. “How about this?” Caleb waited for another pinch. Instead, Molly dragged a single sharp nail in a line across his left pectoral. It stung and Caleb tried to thrash against it, but Molly’s magic held him so perfectly still that he didn’t even flinch. He let out a ragged groan as Molly soothed the line with his tongue.

“Good,” Caleb said when he could breathe again. All of the sensations kept washing over him in waves, and he wondered about something Molly had said earlier, in the bath. “Can you feel this?”

“Not yet,” Molly chuckled. “I haven’t gotten that far yet. I wouldn’t last.” Caleb felt the hard press of Molly’s erection against his thigh, and for the first time it really hit him that Molly enjoyed this every bit as much as he did. The realization sent another wave of pleasure through him and he shuddered. “More?”

“More.”

Molly sighed and Caleb could feel his lips curl into a smile as he kissed the reddening line his sharp nail had left. “So many things I want to do to you, but one night just isn’t enough.”

His voice and the promise of his words went straight to Caleb’s cock. “Tell me. Tell me what you want to do.”

“Where do I start?” Molly purred. He pressed a few more gentle kisses into Caleb’s chest, just enough to lull him back into relaxation, then drew a nail down his right pectoral and another red line blossomed, symmetrical to the first. Caleb had to suppress a whine, which escaped anyway when Molly licked up the small beads of blood that appeared. “I want to keep you like this, spread out and at my mercy, and take you apart with my mouth. I want to hear you gasp and moan, bring you right to the edge and keep you there until you beg me to let you come. I want to see your mouth stretched around my cock… I want to see you on your knees for me.”

Caleb’s breath stuttered out of his lungs and he squirmed against his invisible bonds, craving some sort of friction. “Molly, please. I need you to touch me.”

“And then,” Molly continued mercilessly, running the pads of his fingers gently down Caleb’s ribs. “When you’re all marked up and spent and high on the pleasure of it all, I want to fuck you nice and slow and make you mine.”

“M- _Molly,_ ” Caleb gasped. 

“Gods, you’re lovely. Kiss me again, and then I want to take your sight for a bit.” Caleb’s heart skipped a beat, but he held still and waited to Molly to come to him. “So good for me,” Molly purred. He leaned past Caleb's lips and pressed his tongue over the swollen bite. A soft gasp escaped Caleb’s throat, and as Molly’s lips met his, he wondered where all this was coming from. He’d known that a little bit of pain mixed with pleasure had always been his preference, but this was like nothing he’d ever imagined and he couldn’t get enough. “Alright, darling,” Molly purred. He caressed Caleb’s cheek with his hand, then covered Caleb’s eyes. When he pulled it away again, everything was dark. 

“Molly,” Caleb gasped, trying to sit up. His heart beat hard in his chest and tried again to reach out, but the magic surged through his body and held him tight. “ _Geh nicht.”_

“Right here, love. You’re going to have to give me Zemnian lessons if this keeps up.” Molly’s hand was back at his cheek, then running through his hair. Caleb took a deep breath, let it out, and tried to open his eyes again. This time he knew it would be dark, and it was okay. “How are you feeling?” Molly asked softly.

Caleb considered for a moment. “I don’t know.”

Molly tried again, lacing his words with a touch of magic. “Tell me how you’re feeling, Caleb.”

This time, words came tumbling out. “It feels good. It is terrifying, Mollymauk.”

“Do you want to stop?”

“ _Nein,_ ” Caleb answered immediately. “But keep touching, please.”

“Gladly,” Molly purred, letting the influence fizzle out.

As promised, Molly continued touching. The faint brushes of his fingers reminded Caleb of the bathhouse, and it seemed absurd that it had only been six hours ago. There, in the bath, Molly had managed to undo Caleb with words and touches that were nothing compared to where they were now. Now, Molly was trailing kisses down Caleb’s too-prominent ribs and the flat of his belly. Each kiss was a laser point of focus that bloomed into a warm sensation, like flowers blooming all down Caleb’s body. Then every so often the warmth would be cut through by the sharp sting of Molly’s nails, cutting little lines into his flesh. He would gasp and whimper and Molly would lick and kiss and move on, until he had covered what felt like every inch of Caleb’s body except for his cock. 

“Still with me, Caleb?”

“ _Ja_ , this feels so _gut_.” His voice sounded soft and far away, like he was floating. 

Molly’s chuckle came through clear. “I’m going to suck you off now. Don’t worry, I’ll mind the teeth.”

“ _Mmm_ ,” Caleb hummed in response. He stretched, pleased when the magic allowed him to do so, and settled back in. Then Molly’s hot mouth engulfed him and his hips bucked involuntarily. Molly must have anticipated it, because it was barely a twitch before the magic caught him and pinned him back down. “Molly, Molly,” Caleb repeated, trying desperately to rock his hips up into the soft velvet of Mollymauk’s mouth. He’d been so keyed up from all of the teasing that he could hardly control himself. The more he fought the hold, though, the stronger it got, and soon all he could do was gasp for air and try to hold on.

* * *

Molly could feel the surge of magic every time Caleb fought against his hold. It was like a second heartbeat, and it made Molly dizzy with power and lust. Caleb was beautiful beneath him, stretched out and pinned in place, and Molly knew that an hour would never be enough for all the things he wanted to do. So he got to it, and sucked Caleb down. He’d lost track of how long he’d been teasing, back and forth between pain and pleasure until Caleb could hardly tell the difference, but he knew it wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge. Molly swallowed him down, mindful of his teeth, and ran his tongue along the sensitive underside, loosening the magic’s hold enough to let Caleb’s hips stutter and twitch. Then he licked his way to the head, sucked hard, and released him. An idea crossed his mind that he couldn’t resist. 

“Caleb, give me your hand for a moment.”

Caleb reached a hand down, instinctively looking despite his eyes being two pools of unseeing inky black. Molly reached to his side, gathered up a bit of his blanket, and pressed it into Caleb’s hand. “What is-” his voice cracked. Molly felt bad for leaving him so close. He would make it up to him, though.

“It’s my blanket. Are you still good?”

“I would be better if you’d finish, Molly, gods I’m so close…” His hips were still twitching, and Molly took pity.

“Glad to hear it. Now be a dear and put that blanket in your mouth for a moment, because I’m going to make you scream and we don’t want the whole tavern to hear.” 

Caleb shuddered and he let out a quiet string of curses in Zemnian before yanking the blanket up and biting down on it. 

Molly waited, tracing soft patterns in the dip of Caleb’s hips and down to his inner thighs, until his entire body was trembling with anticipation. Only then did Molly lower himself back down, tease at the head of Caleb’s cock with his tongue, and swallow him again, licking and sucking with care until he was seconds away from an orgasm. With one hand loosely wrapped around the base of Caleb’s cock and the other squeezing his thigh, Molly moaned, letting the vibrations of it tip Caleb over the edge. Then, at the first taste of salty release, Molly pulled off, began to stroke him through the orgasm, and bit hard on the tender inside of Caleb’s thigh. 

As promised, Caleb screamed. His back arched into a perfect bow as his whole body shook. Only the magic pinning his wrists and legs to the bed kept him from throwing Molly off with the force of it, and Molly held fast until Caleb’s trembling muscles finally gave in and he collapsed on the bed again, twitching and spent. 

* * *

Caleb felt like he was floating, stretched out on a cloud and moving lazily through the sky. Molly’s voice was next to him, murmuring affections and gentle apologies. The thrum of magic in his veins had died down to nearly nothing, and when he opened his eyes, he could see again. 

“There we are,” Molly purred, brushing hair out of his face and checking his eyes. “Can you see alright? How do you feel?”

It seemed like such a great effort to speak, but when he finally managed it, the words came tumbling out. “Mmm, wonderful. That was unlike anything… I think you have broken me, Mollymauk. I don’t know that I’ll ever move again.”

Molly smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I don’t know about broken, but I’ve certainly made a mess of you. Don’t move, I’ll be back in just a second.”

Caleb closed his eyes, content to lie there and listen while Molly rummaged around in his pack. As he slowly settled back into his skin, the bite on his leg began to throb in time with his heartbeat. His arms began to ache as well, so he lowered them slowly, lacing his fingers and resting them gently on his chest. The bed dipped as Molly returned to his side, and he opened his eyes again. The tiefling truly was beautiful, especially naked, when all of his skin and tattoos were uncovered, on display. “ _Du bist schön,_ Molly.”

“That sounded like a compliment,” Molly mused, opening a small jar of something and dipping a finger in it. “So thank you. Turn your head a bit, let me put this on your neck. It will stop the bleeding.”

Caleb turned his head and let Molly tend to him. “I said you are beautiful.”

Molly’s fingers stilled, and Caleb waited three heartbeats and turned back to look at him. There was a faint tinge of pink on his lavender skin and his lips were parted slightly, as if surprised. “ _Xe silz za cyye haf,_ ” he finally responded.

“What does it mean?” He knew it was infernal, but didn’t recognize the words.

Molly met his eyes for a long moment, then shook his head. “Let me have a look at your leg now.” He moved down the bed and began to dab at the tender mark. “Can you tell me what time it is?”

“Seventeen minutes until midnight.”

“And how long do we have left?” Molly asked. 

Caleb assumed he was referring to the spell. “Thirty-nine minutes. Though, I cannot feel it anymore…”

“Thought I’d let you rest for a minute,” Molly said, putting the lid back on his ointment jar and setting it aside. He turned his focus back to Caleb again and his eyes darkened just a touch. Instantly, Caleb felt the magic come alive in his veins again, washing through his body in gentle waves that felt like static. 

“It’s such a strange feeling,” Caleb said, gathering his strength and sitting up. “How did you learn you could do this?” Then he took a good look at Molly and changed his mind. “No, tell me later. Let me touch you.”

“Yes, please,” Molly hummed. He leaned in for a kiss, and Caleb happily obliged. Kissing Molly was a wonderful challenge that Caleb was eager to master. It was easy to get lost in the warmth of his mouth and the clever dance of his tongue, but difficult to remember the sharp teeth. It was a wonder he hadn’t cut his tongue yet. Caleb decided to test his focus further, letting his hands trail down Molly’s sides as he leaned further into the kiss. He let his curiosity get the better of him for just a moment, and his hands drifted around to the small of Molly’s back, then lower to the base of his tail. The devilish thing never seemed to quit its swaying and thrashing, and Caleb wanted to capture it for just a moment. 

When he did, Molly jerked and his tooth snagged on Caleb’s lip. “Damn it,” he cursed, pulling away. “Sorry, I-” he brought his hand up and ran a finger gently over the cut. 

“My fault.” To distract Molly from his unwarranted guilt, Caleb finally reached between his legs and wrapped a hand around his erection, giving it an experimental stroke. Molly’s face went slack and he moaned beautifully. “Ridges,” Caleb observed out loud. 

“Tiefling anatomy lesson four,” Molly responded breathlessly. “Please keep doing that. Gods, I’ve been hard for so long and you’re such a sight… I don’t know how I’ve held out until now but I’m not going to last.”

Caleb would never understand how Molly could say such things without any shame, but he loved it. “Will you move to the edge of the bed?”

Molly did as he requested, moving to the edge and letting his feet hang off. Caleb slid off the bed entirely and kneeled before Molly, sitting back on his heels and trying to push his nerves away. He was a quick study in all things and sucking cock was not a particularly difficult concept, but he wanted to make Molly feel even half the pleasure that he had. “Only if you want to, love,” Molly said when Caleb hesitated. 

“I do. But I have never-” 

“Look at me for a moment?” Caleb tilted his head up and met Molly’s eyes. He watched as the tiefling took a thumb, pressed it to one of his canines just like he’d done earlier and drew a bead of blood. Then he reached out and pressed the finger to the small cut on Caleb’s lip, and a spark of magic shot through Caleb's body, leaving a residual tingle that seemed to dance through all of his limbs. “That’s the last spell.”

It took him a moment, but then Caleb understood. Molly leaned back on his hands to watch, and Caleb shoved his nerves away and focused. Where most of Molly’s skin was a pleasant shade of dark lavender, his cock was flushed darker and very faintly ridged. Caleb ran a finger over the bumps along the bottom and shivered when he felt Molly’s pleasure trickle though his own body. He stroked softly, mapping every detail from root to tip, and despite the incredible orgasm he’d already had, he could feel himself getting hard again.

“Caleb,” Molly groaned, rocking his hips forward a bit. “I will let you study me up and down for an entire day if you want to but please, I need your mouth on me now.”

“ _Entschuldige Liebes._ ” Caleb dipped his head and ran his tongue along the underside of Molly’s cock, earning a breathy moan. He repeated the motion with a longer stroke, then closed his mouth around the head and sucked lightly. His own body responded just as passionately as Molly’s, and he had to wrap his free hand around his own cock to keep himself from losing focus. It didn’t occur to him until he did so that Molly could feel that too. 

“Yes, gods, please touch yourself Caleb. That is so incredibly- _oh..._ ” his words trailed off into a moan as Caleb stroked himself once and then took more of Molly into his mouth, bobbing his head and going lower with each movement. He alternated between sucking Molly down as far as he could and massaging the underside with a firm press of his tongue. Molly was having trouble staying still and began rocking his hips, fucking up into Caleb's mouth as he mumbled a string of absolute filth. The closer he got, the harder it was for Caleb to keep his own hand still, and he found himself thrusting into his fist in the same rhythm, nearing release for a second time. 

It wasn’t long before Molly tangled a hand in Caleb’s hair and tugged lightly. “Pull off love, I’m, ah,” he tried to warn, but Caleb had already decided he wanted the full experience. He sank down, taking as much of Molly’s cock as he could manage, and groaned when Molly began to spill into his mouth. Then the feedback loop of pleasure came back around and Caleb’s own orgasm slammed into him, and the last coherent thought he had was that this was the best spell he had ever encountered.

When his thoughts came back to him a few seconds later, he eased himself off of Molly and swallowed, then licked his lips and frowned at the mess he’d made on the floor. He glanced up, meaning to comment on it, and saw that Molly was looking at him with an expression that could only be described as awe. It was too much, to have someone look at him like that, and Caleb laid his head in Molly’s lap so he wouldn’t have to see.

* * *

“You are incredible,” Molly purred, combing a hand through Caleb’s hair. “Even more beautiful down there on your knees than I imagined. You must be getting sore though. Come up here, will you? Lie down.” Molly moved out of the way so he could do so, unashamedly using the opportunity to drink in the sight of the man, naked and spent and marked all over. “Are you still doing alright?”

“ _Ja, gut._ Very good,” Caleb responded, voice rough. He settled on his back, head on the pillow, and Molly laid down by his side. It was hard, with his horns in the way, but he managed by resting his face on Caleb’s shoulder. 

“Rest for a moment. Relax.” Molly waited until Caleb’s breathing steadied, then began to trace gentle patterns across his chest with a fingertip, careful not to scratch. He’d already left nine lovely red lines on Caleb’s front, and Caleb and moaned for every single one of them. Molly hadn’t entirely known what to expect from Caleb when he lured him into bed, but with every single thing he learned about the man, he craved more. “How much time do we have left?” 

“Hmm,” Caleb considered. “Twenty eight.”

“Twenty eight,” Molly repeated thoughtfully. He propped himself up on one elbow to get a good look at Caleb, whose eyes were hooded with exhaustion and cheeks flushed from exertion and pleasure. “Beautiful.” Molly couldn’t help himself- he leaned in and pressed his lips to Caleb's. His bottom lip was slightly swollen from the cut Molly had accidentally given him, and he made a content humming noise when Molly kissed it apologetically. “You look exhausted.”

“You are an exhausting creature,” Caleb responded, lips quirking up into a smile. Then he admitted more honestly, “I am. I don’t know that I could… there was one more thing you said though.” His eyes met Molly’s, then flicked away with uncertainty. 

Molly kissed him again, just briefly. “If you’re not up for it, we don’t have to do anything.”

Caleb chuckled. “Perhaps I am not _up for it_ in that sense, but I want to. _Götter, die ich will_.” He leaned up just enough to catch Molly’s lips in another kiss, bringing up a hand to rest it on Molly’s cheek. “I want everything, Molly.”

“You might be the death of me.”

“Twenty five more minutes. _Zeig es mir._ Show me.”

Pecking Caleb once more on the lips, Molly pushed himself up and slid off the bed, returning to his pack. He dug through it, cursing himself for not thinking ahead earlier, but found the small bottle he’d been looking for easily enough. He climbed back onto the bed, parting Caleb’s legs with a hand and settling between them. “I’ll need your help for this a bit,” he said, setting the bottle aside for a moment to run his hands over Caleb’s thighs. 

Caleb shivered and refocused. “This spell… it is fascinating. I can feel your pleasure and, I imagine, your pain… but I can also feel _you_. It is like you are always there, just beneath my skin.” He blinked a few times. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Molly couldn’t help but chuckle. “I said, I’ll need your help for this.” He held up his hand. “Claws and all, you know?”

It took a moment, but then Molly saw the understanding click into place. “Oh, for… _ja_ , okay.” He was blushing again, glancing over to the bottle of oil with awkward indecision. 

“I’ll guide you, love. Give me your hand.” He took up the bottle and uncorked it, tipping it over onto Caleb’s fingers. Caleb played with the substance, unsure, and spread it out over the digits. “Budge up a bit. Legs up. There we go,” Molly guided, scooting them into a better position. It was still a bit awkward, but workable. 

“I think… perhaps if you’d look away?” Caleb requested, blushing furiously now. 

Molly closed his eyes. “I trust you know what you’re doing then?” Caleb didn’t answer with his words, but Molly knew well enough that he did when a ripple of pleasure snaked through his body. Caleb let out the breath he’d been holding in a puff of air. “That’s it, yeah…”

“You can feel that, can’t you. Gods Mollymauk, this spell is…” Caleb lost focus on his sentence as he pressed further into himself and shivered.

“It’s wonderful,” Molly agreed, listening to the soft gasps and quiet noises. Molly could picture it in his mind, but it just wasn’t enough. “Please, Caleb. Let me see you,” he muttered. “Can I open my eyes? Gods you probably look so good, all splayed out and getting yourself ready for me... “ He tightened his grip on Caleb’s thighs, trying not to dig his nails in.

It took Caleb a moment before he finally stuttered out a quiet, “Okay. _Ja_ , okay. Look at me.”

Molly’s eyes flew open and he drank in the sight before him. He hadn’t noticed how mussed Caleb’s hair had become, but it was quite the sight. Caleb had closed his own eyes, and his eyelashes just brushed against his pink cheeks. One of his hands gripped the plain cotton sheets and the other was tucked beneath his balls, moving slowly as he fingered himself open. “Add another, when you’re ready.” He wanted to touch himself, but kept his hands firmly planted on Caleb’s legs. He didn’t want to overstimulate Caleb just yet. “Have you done this before?”

“I… I have touched myself before, yes. Like this. Not in a while.” Molly felt when he added another finger, and the two of them shuddered together. “Can you feel it? All of this?”

“Yes. Gods, you feel so good. Next time I’ll trim my nails so I can feel you myself. See if I can make you come with nothing but my fingers. Would you like that? Do you need more oil, love?”

“Yes… no…” Caleb struggled to remember what order the questions had been in. “Next time?”

“Only if you want,” Molly assured him. He reached for the oil just in case and unstoppered it. Then he used the one hand he still had on Caleb’s thigh to push him up a bit to get a better view. He watched two of Caleb’s fingers sink into his body, twisting a bit before pulling almost all the way out. He tipped the bottle, letting a few drops land on Caleb’s fingers, and Caleb froze. “Don’t stop on my account. There you go.” He popped the cap back on one handed and tossed it aside.

“ _Molly,_ ” Caleb groaned, probably meaning to scold him for watching so closely. 

“Spread them apart a bit, just… oh gods yes, like that.” Molly’s free hand flew back to Caleb’s thigh, unintentionally pushing a bit harder and lifting Caleb’s ass off the bed. His cock was fully hard again and straining between his legs, just inches from where Caleb’s hand was moving. “One,” he had to pause to swallow. “One more, love. Can you take one more for me?”

Caleb muttered his name again and nodded against the pillow. “ _Alles für dich_.”

Molly nearly moaned. “I am absolutely going to need Zemnian lessons. I want to understand every single thing that falls out of your lovely mouth while I’m fucking you.” 

“Next time,” Caleb breathed.

Molly reached for the oil once more and poured a bit into his hand. “I’m going to touch myself,” he warned so Caleb wasn’t caught too off guard. Then he took himself in his hand and spread the oil over his cock, groaning at the contact after denying himself for so long. Caleb matched his noise, tensing and shuddering before easing his fingers out of himself. “Ready darling?”

“ _Ja_ , I think so. Just… easy, okay?”

“I’ve got you,” Molly promised, wiping his hand off on the sheet before scooting up a bit. He positioned himself at Caleb’s entrance, rubbing the head of his cock over it gently before pressing in. He breathed deeply, using all of his concentration to ignore the effects of the spell, as he eased himself forward.

“Molly, _Oh Götter, hör nicht auf, bitte, das fühlt sich so gut an..._ ”

“Fuck, Caleb,” Molly groaned. Hearing Caleb dissolve into a stream of his native language was too much, and Molly’s concentration broke. There was suddenly so much _feeling_ spiking through his veins- the heat and pressure of Caleb around him and the feeling of being so filled and stretched. He could feel the sting of his own nails as they dug into Caleb’s shoulders, and his whole body trembled as he bottomed out. 

The two of them just laid there, holding onto each other and breathing, for what felt like several moments. Molly had collapsed forward onto Caleb, and Caleb’s arms were wrapped tightly around Molly’s back. “So much,” Caleb finally breathed. “Are you okay, Mollymauk?” He loosened his grip again.

“Yeah. Wow. I’m okay, I just wasn’t expecting…” He rocked his hips gently, experimenting, and both of them moaned. “Shame that bubble spell of yours isn’t soundproof,” he chuckled. 

Caleb nodded weakly. “I could turn over,” he suggested. “I can put my face against the pillow.”

“Sure, and trust me to be the quiet one?” Molly laughed. Still, he lifted himself carefully, pulling out as slowly as he could so Caleb could turn over. He took care in positioning him, guiding him onto his knees and his elbows with the pillow in front of him so he could easily muffle his moans. Caleb let Molly arrange him wordlessly, obeying each gentle touch until he was just how Molly wanted him. “You are a very beautiful man, Caleb Widogast,” Molly sighed, kneeling behind him and running his palm down Caleb’s spine. 

“Molly,” Caleb protested. Molly thought it a shame that Caleb seemed to have such difficulty taking complements. 

“It’s true.” He leaned forward, guiding himself back to Caleb, and pressed in slowly. It was slightly easier, now that he knew what to expect, but he still found his vision blurring with the intensity of feeling that threatened to drown him. “You are beautiful and brilliant and _gods_ you feel so good around my cock…”

“ _Molly,_ ” Caleb groaned, back bowing as he tried to press back into Molly’s slow thrust. 

Now that Molly had gotten started, the words seemed to pour out of him. “I bet nobody’s ever taken you like this, hmm? Exhausted and strung out on pleasure, fucking you slow and careful. I’ve already gotten you to come twice and I can feel you getting hard again… oh _fuck_ I can feel that…” 

For a moment, Molly lost himself to the endless assault of pleasure. He just closed his eyes and let his body move, rocking into Caleb slow and deep, then pulling out halfway and doing it again. Caleb was so pliant and perfect beneath him, arching back into each thrust, letting out a breathy gasp each time Molly bottomed out. When Caleb truly started to tremble from the intensity of it, Molly paused to get more oil, then started back up again at the same pace. He rested his hands on Caleb’s shoulders for a moment, rubbing soft circles, then dragged his nails slowly down Caleb’s back. It was just a light scratch but Caleb whimpered, ducking his head a bit and lifting his ass higher. “More, Molly, please.”

“Patience,” Molly said softly. He kept his pace. He could feel the steady burn of restlessness building in Caleb with each stroke, the desperation for more, and his practically boneless body started to tense. He began rocking back to meet Molly’s thrusts, trying to speed things up. Molly grabbed his hips firmly and held him in place. “I said _patience._ ”

His voice had unintentionally dropped lower with the command and Caleb let out a whine. “ _Bitte_ , Molly. I need more. It is so good...”

“Yes, let me hear you. You’re so pretty when you beg. Gods, I could listen to it all day. The noises you make, the way your voice breaks… I’ll give you more, love. Just let me enjoy this a bit longer and then I’ll fuck you good and hard.” Caleb’s shudder sent a shock through Molly’s body and he tightened his grip, accidentally breaking the skin on Caleb’s hips with his nails. “Fuck, this is hard. I can usually keep it together longer, but this spell… it’s like fucking you while being fucked…”

Caleb seemed to be past the point of shame when it came to begging. “ _Ich weiß, ich weiß_ ,” He moaned. “Please, Molly. Whatever you want. _Schwerer_ , _ich brauche es, bitte liebling._ ”

“I know that one,” Molly said, recognizing one of the words in Caleb’s rambling sentence. He pulled out again, halfway, and this time he thrust back in just a bit harder. Caleb let out a broken noise, and Molly couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He snapped his hips forward, pulling Caleb back onto his cock at the same time, and began to fuck him hard and fast and unrelenting. Caleb curled his hands into fists, clutching at the sheets and holding on for dear life. He repeated Molly’s name in short gasps, almost like a prayer. Molly could feel his orgasm building, coming up fast, and there was a rushing sort of feeling in his head not unlike the moments before blacking out.

“ _Liebe,_ I think I’m going to come again…” Caleb said in disbelief, trembling as he sucked in gasping breaths. 

“Fuck,” Molly cursed, unable to believe how absolutely perfect Caleb was. He leaned over him, wrapped an arm around his chest, and roughly hauled him up onto his knees so he was practically sitting in Molly’s lap. The change of position hit just the right spot in Caleb and he cried out, hands flying to Molly’s arm for something to hold on to. Molly dropped his other hand to Caleb’s cock, and that was it. All of the sensations combined swirled together with the bonding spell and slammed back into him, and he only had enough breath to moan, “I’m coming, Caleb, _oh gods, Caleb..._ ”

“Bite, Molly,” Caleb begged. “One more.”

Caleb hadn’t even need to ask, because Molly was already sinking his teeth into Caleb’s shoulder, anchoring himself as his climax crashed through him. The sharp pain of his fangs ricocheted back through the bond, along with Caleb’s body seizing up in an attempt to come for a third time. He heard Caleb wail, and then everything went dark. 

He came to a few moments later with the taste of blood in his mouth and realized that he was still firmly attached to Caleb’s shoulder by the teeth. “Gods, I’m sorry.” He pulled out as gently as possible and rolled them over, sucking in a deep breath and trying to bring his heart rate down to something acceptable. “Still with me? Are you okay?” 

“I’m here, Mollymauk.” It was barely a whisper. Caleb was limp and utterly blissed out, but Molly could see the faint curl of his lips that said he was okay. “I think you have absolutely ruined me for all others.”

Molly wanted so badly to spoon up next to him and never move again, but the bed was an absolute wreck and Caleb’s shoulder was bleeding quite a bit. “I’ve made a mess of you, love. I’m so sorry. Let me get a rag and some more salve.”

Caleb let out a rumbling sound that almost sounded like a purr. “Don’t be sorry. I loved it. Every moment.”

Molly smiled to himself. He climbed back out of the bed reluctantly and fetched a cloth from his bag. On a second thought, he rummaged around a bit more to see if his flask still had any water in it. The clinking of his various possessions was just enough to hide the sound of the lock on the door clicking open, and the next thing Mollymauk knew, there was a crossbow pointed right between his eyes.

“What the fuck did you do to him?!” Nott screeched, eyes flitting back and forth from Caleb, collapsed on the bed and bleeding from several bite marks, and Molly, who was still crouched down by his bag. 

Molly dropped the rag and the flask, put his hands up where Nott could see them, and slowly started to stand. Before he could get out a single word, a crossbow bolt zinged by his head and thunked into the wall behind him. 

“Don’t fucking move,” Nott demanded. 

“Nott, _Liebling_ , do not shoot him. It will hurt me just as much as it hurts him.” Caleb sounded just as exhausted as he looked. He sat up, blanket covering his lower half, and Molly almost wished he hadn’t. Now Nott could see the nine scratches that Molly had lovingly drawn down his torso, the deep bite on his neck from the first spell, and his swollen lip.

“ _Caleb,_ ” Nott whined, clearly torn. Then she turned her gaze back onto Molly. “I’m going to kill you,” she growled, reloading her crossbow with a rapid expertise that Molly usually appreciated. Not so much now.

Then the door swung open further as Jester barged into the room. “Molly I’m sorry! I didn’t notice she left the table-” Jester paused, taking in the sight of Molly at crossbow-point and Nott ready to fire. “Nott! What are you doing?” Then her eyes finally fell on Caleb and everything seemed to click into place. She pushed the door shut behind her. “Nott, maybe we should put the weapons down and let them explain, okay?”

Caleb collapsed back on the bed, apparently too exhausted to deal with any of this. 

“He hurt Caleb,” Nott said, not budging in the slightest. 

Molly sighed. “So much for the afterglow,” he lamented, putting his hands down. “Caleb is right though. If you shoot me, he’s going to feel it too. At least for the next…” 

“ _Sieben._ Seven minutes.”

“Yeah. Spell lasts for an hour.” Molly ducked back down and collected the rag and flask, and when he stood again he could see that Nott had lowered her crossbow a bit. She was looking back and forth between Molly and Caleb still, but she seemed to slowly be piecing things together.

“You… let him do that to you?” She finally asked of Caleb.

Molly stepped up to the edge of the bed and reached out a hand for Caleb, pulling him up into a sitting position again. “Lean forward a bit, dear. Let me see your shoulder,” he said softly. 

“ _Ja_ , Nott. I did.” He sucked in a breath as Molly wiped off the blood. 

“Some people like that, Nott,” Jester explained. Molly could practically feel the embarrassment coming off of Caleb in waves. “My mom has customers sometimes that ask her to tie them up and hurt them, and sometimes people use like, riding crops and stuff…” She trailed off, probably noticing Caleb’s discomfort. “Do you want me to heal you Caleb?”

“No, I am okay. If you could maybe leave though… I am fine, Nott. _Versprechen_. We will talk later, okay?”

“Okay…” Nott answered, sagging in defeat. She started towards the door, shooting one last glare back at Molly. 

Jester looked at them both sympathetically. “I’m sorry… I’ll make sure she doesn’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Thanks,” Molly nodded. 

Jester exited the room, then popped her head back in one last time. “Congrats by the way,” she said, winking at them. “I always figured you’d be a kinky one.” Then she shut the door and left for good.

Molly dabbed the ointment on Caleb’s neck in silence for a few minutes before finally standing back. “Well, that was fun.” Caleb nodded, but didn’t meet his eyes. He wore an expression that was starting to become familiar to Molly. “You did have fun, right?”

“Yes,” Caleb said quickly, realizing what his silence must have sounded like. “That was amazing, Mollymauk. Truly.”

Molly put a gentle finger on Caleb’s chin and tilted his face until they locked eyes. “And you realize that just because some people might not understand the things you like, that doesn’t make them something to be ashamed about?”

Caleb hesitated. “I suppose. As long as I didn’t make you uncomfortable…”

“Gods no. I’ve been wanting to fuck you for ages, and that far outweighed every expectation. I never want to hurt you if it’s not something you're asking for, but seeing you covered in my marks… You are a work of art.”

“ _Schmeichler_ ,” Caleb chuckled. “Thank you.”

“It was absolutely my pleasure. And we can worry about the others in the morning, okay?” Molly kissed Caleb on the forehead, then found another cloth and used it to clean the rest of them up. When he was finished, he looked mournfully at the disaster that was his bed. “I think that might be a lost cause. Perhaps I could sleep in yours?”

Caleb pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “I have a better idea.” He stood, shaky on his legs, and went to the desk where he’d left his folded coat. He drew out a familiar copper wire, twisted it in his hand, and put it to his mouth. “Jester, would you please ask Fjord to trade rooms with me for the night? I would like to stay with Mollymauk.”

“Okay!” The response came quickly.

He set the wire down, then hesitated. “Is that… is that alright with you? I don’t want to overstep…”

Molly closed the few steps between them and brushed a hand down Caleb’s cheek. “I would love to spend the night with you. I’ll warn you though, I’m a cuddler.”

“I suppose I could have guessed that.”

The two of them spent the next ten minutes or so stripping the bed and replacing it with Fjord’s much cleaner bedding. Molly added a few blankets from his own pack, and by the time they climbed into their nest they were both barely able to keep their eyes open.

As they were drifting off, Caleb’s head tucked up under Molly’s chin, Molly had a thought. “Should you have had Jester heal you? I know it was a bit awkward, but I have no doubt you’ll be covered in bruises by morning…”

Caleb hummed, just barely still awake. “No. I want your marks on me, Mollymauk. I like them.” Then he sighed and snuggled in a bit closer, body relaxing fully as he drifted off.

Molly’s heart did something strange in his chest, but before he could think too much of it, he too fell into an easy slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Some Translations:**  
>  _Alles gut_ \- All good  
>  _Selbstverständlich_ \- Of course / Obviously  
>  _Geh nicht_ \- Don't leave / Do not go  
>  _Entschuldige Liebes_ \- Sorry, love  
>  _Götter, die ich will._ \- Gods, I want  
>  _Alles für dich_ \- Anything for you  
>  _Oh Götter, hör nicht auf, bitte, das fühlt sich so gut an..._ \- Oh gods, don't stop, please, this feels so good...  
>  _Schwerer, ich brauche es, bitte liebling_ -Harder, I need it, please darling  
>  _Schmeichler_ \- Flatterer  
> -  
>  _Xe silz za cyye haf_ (Infernal) I want to keep you  
> (There's an awesome "infernal translator" on LingoJam  
> 
> 
>   
> Sorry there's so much, I'm just a total sucker for Caleb saying things in Zemnian that he's too shy to say otherwise


	3. Chapter 3

Caleb woke up in the early hours of the morning to the sounds of birds, the slight bustling from the innkeeper downstairs preparing breakfast, and Molly’s soft snoring in his ear. The tiefling was half slung over him and the end of his tail had wrapped itself around Caleb’s ankle in their sleep. It was adorable, really.

Caleb considered the previous day. He’d been apprehensive at the bath house, especially after falling so easily into Molly’s touches and his words. He almost hadn’t gone along with it, but it had been so long since he’d been with anyone. So long since he’d trusted anyone enough to strip down in front of them, never mind let them take control. Once he’d gotten himself up the stairs and into Molly’s room though, it had been terrifyingly easy to let himself go and enjoy all those things that he didn’t deserve.

Molly seemed to think he deserved them, though. That was probably the hardest part of it. Molly had stripped down his defenses and treated him so gently, even though he knew the things Caleb had done. He’d made Caleb feel wanted and desired and _loved_ , in a way. It was probably just the way Molly was with his bedroom partners, but the entire ordeal had left Caleb with a strange, warm sensation in his chest that he wasn’t ready to push away just yet.

“You awake?” Molly interrupted Caleb’s thoughts with his sleep-heavy voice. 

“ _Ja._ Just for a few moments now.”

Molly rolled off of Caleb and stretched, several joints popping as he did so. “How do you feel?”

It took him a moment to gather the energy to sit up, but when he did he could feel his body protesting in nearly a dozen different places. “Sore,” he confessed, reaching up to feel the tender bit on his neck. 

“Let me look at you,” Molly said, sitting up as well and pulling the blankets away. He ran his eyes over Caleb, from his lip to his neck, his shoulder and down his torso. Then he pushed aside the fabric of Caleb’s boxers to check the bite on the inside of his thigh. “Wow. What a sight you are,” he purred.

“I imagine the one on my leg will bruise rather spectacularly, _ja_?” He chuckled. “I’m also starved.”

“ _Yes,_ ” Molly groaned, as if he had just realized how hungry he was. “But… we should talk real quick. Before we go down.”

Caleb’s gut twisted strangely. “Oh. I suppose we should.”

Molly’s lips turned up into a smile and he leaned forward to kiss Caleb on the forehead. “Don’t make that face at me. I only wanted to ask what you felt about telling the others.”

“I suppose…” He considered their reactions. Nott and Jester already knew. Yasha wouldn’t be bothered by it; if anything she’d be happy for Molly. Fjord was polite enough to at least act like he wasn’t bothered and Beau… well, she was Beau. She would probably tease him relentlessly, but she would never push him away. He was almost surprised to find that he wasn’t terribly concerned when it came to telling the others. “I don’t feel the need to make an announcement, but I do not mind if they know.”

“Sounds good to me.” He climbed out of the bed and rummaged through his belongings for a clean shirt, then began to dress. Caleb followed suit, movements slow and careful as he slid his clothes over the more tender reminders of their night. The strap of his book harness rested right over the bite on his shoulder, and he fussed with it for several moments to get it somewhere comfortable. As much as a shame as it was, he realized he might need to ask Jester to heal just that one.

“I’ll be down for breakfast soon,” Caleb finally said when he was dressed and had his coat in hand. “I’d like to talk to Nott first.” Molly nodded, still in the process of lacing his boots. Caleb couldn’t help but smile at the sight before he slipped out the door and into the hallway.

The room he shared with Nott was two over from Molly’s and he turned the handle and entered before he’d remembered the trade last night. He nearly walked right into Fjord, who seemed to be dressed and ready to head down for breakfast as well. 

“Oh, ah, apologies. I was looking for my goblin friend.”

“Right,” Fjord nodded, looking a tad confused. “Well, Molly had some company last night, so Jester said I should sleep in here. Nott spent the night with the girls.”

Caleb nodded, adjusting his scarf a bit. “Right. _Ja_ , that makes sense.” He moved to drop his coat on his bed. It was too warm for it downstairs; he only had the scarf to cover Molly’s bite.

“And, uh, where were you last night? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Caleb felt his cheeks warm a bit, even though he’d already decided not to hide it from the others. “I was, ah,” he stumbled. “I was Molly’s company.” He couldn’t bring himself to look, but he knew exactly the expression that Fjord was making at him.

“Oh! Well. I, uh-”

“Breakfast?” Caleb asked quickly, nodding towards the door without ever meeting Fjord’s eyes. 

“Yeah. Yes. Breakfast. Great. Let’s go.” Fjord hurried out of the room before him, and Caleb followed with a faint smile on his face. He’s forgotten how easily flustered the half-orc was on the topic of sex, and somehow that made it easier to tell him.

Downstairs he found the rest of the group, all crowded around the largest table with plates full of meats and cheeses and bowls of some sort of porridge. Rather than sit down with them though, he met Nott’s eyes for a moment and walked across the room to a small table in the corner. After a moment, she followed. She sat opposite of Caleb, holding tight to her tankard, but didn’t look at him.

“I understand you are upset with me, _liebchen._ I’m sorry I worried you.” Caleb briefly wished he had his own tankard of ale, if only for something to do with his hands. “I know you are upset with Mollymauk too, but I want you to understand that he did not do anything against my will.”

Nott’s hands seemed to shake a bit, and she took a long drink of her ale. “Why did you let him hurt you, Caleb?” Her yellow eyes flicked up and Caleb saw her confusion. 

“I…” He hesitated. This was easily the most awkward conversation he’d ever had, but Nott was his best friend. She deserved the truth. “I like it. The pain, mixed with pleasure. It makes me feel very good.”

She didn’t look entirely convinced, but at least she was meeting his eyes now. “How long have you been…” She seemed to reconsider. “Why did you say that shooting him would hurt you too?”

Caleb sighed and reached for Nott’s drink. She let him take it, which was a good sign that they would be okay. After a long swig of it, he nodded. “Yesterday, when we went to the baths, Molly and I talked about his magic. It’s a very different kind of magic from what I can do, and it fascinates me, _ja_?”

“Of course… all magic fascinates you.”

“So he told me about some of the things he can do with it. Most of those things are for battle. For fighting and protecting us. But some of his magic can be used for more… delicate things.” Caleb could see Nott’s eyes flicking over to the table with their friends, still glaring daggers at Molly. “I asked him to show me. There is a spell that he used to create a bond between us, so I could feel his pleasure and he could feel mine.”

“And pain too? If I shot him, I really would have hurt you?” 

“Yes. And pain too.”

“It’s gone now, right?”

“It is gone. And I know that I did not look so good when you came in, but Molly took care of me. I am fine.”

Nott studied him with a long hard look, eyes narrowed and ears tilted back. “How do I know you’re not under a spell? How do I know he isn’t making you say these things?”

Caleb sighed and pondered. “I do not know how to prove such a thing, _liebchen_ , but I promise you I am not. Give it some time, and you will see that I haven’t changed at all.”

“Are you going to keep sleeping with him?”

“I do not know…” He remembered Molly’s promise of ‘next time’, but didn’t know if it had been genuine or just something said in the moment. “I would like to,” he admitted honestly. “But if it means our friendship, I will not.”

Nott finally let her shoulders relax and drooped back into her typical posture. “No, I wouldn’t do that. You’re an adult wizard, and you can do what you want. I was just scared for you. I heard you yell from the hall and I thought…”

Caleb flushed. So that was why she’d busted into the room. “I’m sorry I scared you. I did not think I’d been quite so loud.” He eyed the goblin carefully. “Are we okay?”

After a moment, Nott nodded. “Yeah, we’re okay. Just… promise you’ll tell me if he hurts you. For real, I mean.”

Caleb stood and rustled her hair beneath the hood. “I will. You have my word.” 

“And Caleb?”

“ _Ja_?”

“Send him over here for a minute.”

A bit nervous, Caleb approached the table and sat down in the space between Molly and Jester. He reached forward to grab the tankard of water that somebody had fetched him and leaned over to Molly. “It seems… Ah, Nott would like to speak with you, if you have a moment.” Embarrassment trickled through him.

“Why, of course,” Molly smiled, getting up from the table with a flourish. He headed over to the small table where Nott still waited, and Caleb turned his focus to his food. He didn’t know what Nott was planning on saying to Molly, but he felt confident that at least she wouldn’t kill him.

“What’s going on with all that?” Beau gestured widely in the direction of Nott and Molly.

Caleb bit into a piece of bacon and chewed it thoroughly before responding. “We had a bit of a… misunderstanding last night. _Alles gut_ now.”

“Is that why Nott spent the night with us?” Beau turned to Jester. “She was really mad about something. Didn’t say a word all night.”

“ _Beau…_ ” Jester scolded, kicking her under the table. 

“This porridge here is mighty fine,” Fjord interrupted, trying to steer the conversation somewhere safe.

“Yeah, _really_ good,” Jester agreed emphatically. She shoved a spoonful in her mouth and made a face at it. 

Beau squinted hard at Caleb, then Jester, then Fjord. She seemed to know something was up, but didn’t quite know what. Then Nott and Molly returned to the table. Caleb looked over to Nott and raised an eyebrow, but she was already back to devouring her bacon with gusto. He glanced next to him, at Molly, and gave him the same questioning look. 

“Everything’s fine, no worries.” Molly scooped some of the eggs off the platter and onto his plate.

“You know… I’m getting the feeling that everyone knows something except for me,” Beau complained, eyeing Molly suspiciously. 

“Why would you think that, Beau? That’s crazy,” Jester said quickly, voice lilting up into that high register that made it obvious she was lying. Beau just looked at her and rolled her eyes.

“Well perhaps not _everybody_ else.” Molly chuckled. He turned to Caleb. “Does Fjord know?”

Caleb knew his face had to be flaming red by now. “ _Ja,_ he does.”

“Yasha?” 

Yasha smiled to herself as she buttered a piece of bread. “You’re very obvious.”

“Well then,” Molly said playfully. “I suppose everybody does know. Except for Beau, of course.”

“Know what?!” Beau exploded, slamming her hands down on the table and rising out of her seat a bit. 

“Caleb, dear,” Molly purred. Caleb sighed and set down his fork, turning to Molly. The tiefling smirked, then leaned in and slotted their mouths together, putting an arm around Caleb’s neck to pull him closer. He tasted like bacon and a hint of spice, and Caleb tried to ignore the five pairs of eyes he could feel burning into his skull and just enjoy the kiss. When Molly finally released him, his eyes were glittering with mischief. 

“What the fuck?” Beau screeched. “What the fuck.” Fjord put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down into her seat. “I mean, that’s fine, but what the fuck?!” 

Molly just chuckled, tail flicking back and forth behind him, and Caleb couldn’t help but smile. He hoped this was the start of something that would last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> Well, that's that! Honestly I'll probably write more for this couple pretty soon... not sure if I'm going to do a sequel to this or another one altogether, but I might be addicted to this pair...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed. Kudos are my lifeblood <3


End file.
